It’s really not that big. It seems like it would be based on the specs and photos, but in reality the Sprint EVO 4G by HTC just isn’t that big. And it’s not levied as an insult, I just mean to say that the EVO is manageable in size.

The screen has the same 800 x 480 resolution of the Nexus One and HTC Incredible, but the pixels are spread out over a much larger 4.3” screen. The display setup to be overly red just like the other Android screens we've seen thus far, but it looks great.

The size of the screen is really what sets the EVO 4G apart from the competition, and honestly I couldn’t think of a better phone for browsing the web. Loading full websites is a pleasure and the screen is large enough where you can actually read a lot of content. It's not a tablet replacement, but it is easier to work with than a 3.5 - 3.7" screen.

From left to right: HTC EVO 4G, iPhone 3GS, Nexus One, iPhone 4

I’ve heard it referred to as a mini tablet and honestly I don’t believe that’s the case. The 4.3” screen is big but I’m telling you, it’s not that big in practice. It just ends up feeling like a phone with a good sized screen. Move into the 5” and beyond territory and then you start triggering me calling things tablets.

HTC EVO 4G (left) vs. iPhone 3GS (right)

HTC EVO 4G (left) vs. iPhone 4 (right)

The phone measures 4.8” x 2.6” x 0.5” and it’s the largest smartphone I’ve ever held. That being said, it is absolutely pocketable as long as you’re not wearing skinny jeans. Even then it is thin enough that you could slip it into your back pocket.

Physical Comparison

HTC EVO 4G (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650)

HTC Droid Incredible (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650)

Apple iPhone 4

Google Nexus One (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250)

Height

121.9 mm (4.8")

117.5 mm (4.63")

115.2 mm (4.5")

119 mm (4.7")

Width

66.0 mm (2.6")

58.5 mm (2.30")

58.6 mm (2.31")

59.8 mm (2.35")

Depth

12.7 mm (0.5")

11.9 mm (0.47")

9.3 mm ( 0.37")

11.5 mm (0.45")

Weight

170 g (6.0 oz)

130 g (4.6 oz)

137 g (4.8 oz)

130 g (4.6 oz)

CPU

Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz

Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz

Apple A4 @ ~800MHz

Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz

GPU

Adreno 200

Adreno 200

PowerVR SGX 535

Adreno 200

RAM

512MB LPDDR1

512MB LPDDR1

512MB LPDDR1 (?)

512MB LPDDR1

NAND

8GB micro SD

8GB micro SD

16GB or 32GB integrated

micro SD

Camera

8MP with dual LED Flash + Front Facing Camera

8MP with LED Flash

5MP with LED Flash + Front Facing Camera

5MP with LED Flash

Screen

4.3" 480 x 800

3.7" 480 x 800 AMOLED

3.5" 640 x 960 LED backlit LCD

3.7" 480 x 800 AMOLED

Battery

Removable 5.5Whr

Removable 4.81 Whr

Integrated 5.254 Whr

Removable 5.18 Whr

HTC ditched the silly scroll ball of the Nexus One and the optical sensor of the Incredible and just left the EVO 4G with a row of touch sensitive buttons along the base of the screen. Home, Menu, Back and Search are all you get.

If you need a navigational aid the screen is big enough where HTC was able to include directional arrows on the on-screen keyboard. They are awkward to use at first because you’re not used to them, but afterwards they just make sense. I hardly used the scroll ball/optical trackball of the other Android phones so HTC’s decision to reclaim that real estate makes total sense to me. The screen is used for scrolling, if you need fine tuned movement just rely on the virtual arrow keys. Fine by me.

The touch screen supports haptics, which can be fully disabled. When enabled certain button presses will cause the EVO’s motor to vibrate a bit to confirm the touch. It’s a concession for those who still want some tactile feedback.

The EVO 4G is the first Android phone I’ve used with something interesting on its back: a kickstand. The metal stand lets you prop a horizontally oriented EVO on your desk at around a 45 degree angle. It’s great for watching videos, using as a clock or an alternative to a costly dock.

The stand is actually a nice touch, unfortunately the Android UI doesn’t rotate to landscape mode so it’s only useful within apps that support rotation.

Also on the back is the 8MP camera lens (there’s a 1.3MP camera on the front), two LED lights used as a flash and a speaker for the speakerphone. Along the bottom is a standard USB micro B connector and a micro HDMI (D-connector) video out. The HDMI out can only be used to output movies, it won’t mirror your display.

As its name bluntly states, the EVO 4G works on Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network. Sprint’s 4G service is currently only available in 43 cities spread over 15 states, if you find yourself in one of those states then the EVO has more than its large screen to tempt you.

The phone currently sells subsidized for $199 from Sprint after a $100 mail in rebate. Service starts at $69.99 for 450 minutes and unlimited messaging/data and goes all the way up to $134.99 per month including tethering.

Cost of Ownership Comparison

AT&T iPhone 4

Sprint EVO 4G

Verizon HTC Droid Incredible

Cost of Device

$199 w/ 2 year contract

$199 w/ 2 year contract after $100 MIR

$199 w/ 2 year contract

Plan with 900 Minutes, Unlimited SMS/Data

$104.99/mo, unlimited SMS, 2GB data

$99.99/mo, unlimited SMS, unlimited data, 4G

$109.98/mo, unlimited SMS, unlimited data

Tethering

+ $20/mo

+ $29.99/mo

+ $25/mo*

Total Monthly + Tethering

$124.99/mo

$129.98/mo

$134.98/mo

Total Cost of Ownership over 2 Years

$2718.76

$2598.76 after $100 MIR

$2838.52

Total Cost of Ownership over 2 Years w/ Tethering

$3198.76

$3318.52 after $100 MIR

$3438.52

*Verizon hotspot service goes up to $30/mo in late July

Without the mobile hotspot service, the EVO 4G is the most affordable smartphone out of the three majors over the course of two years. AT&T actually offers a better deal with tethering but you need to keep an eye on your usage; go over 2GB per month and you'll incur additional charges, which isn't tough to do if you tether a lot.

"The size of the screen is really what sets the EVO 4G apart from the competition, and honestly I couldn’t think of a better phone for browsing the web. Loading full websites is a pleasure and the screen is large enough where you can actually read a lot of content, even while zoomed in. I’d be willing to go as far as to say that it is almost too small for the ideal web browsing experience."

This whole paragraph is confusing and contradicting. You say you couldn't think of a better phone for web browsing. Then say you you can read a lot even while zoomed in, which I think you meant to say out there. Then you contradict the first sentence and say it is almost too small for web browsing.

I posted above the following: ... funny how the Iphone 4 review that Anand did proves Iphone 4 on a "slower" 3g network is consistantly faster then the Evo on a 4G network when it comes to the web .. I guess 4G's Peak performance is theoretically better.. but are Sprints 4G average 4g Speed numbers better then ATT's avg 3g speeds?? ..it would seem not.."Reply

Hmm that was actually a bit confusing, Sprint lists it as an OLED screen and it is very similar to the OLEDs we've used in terms of color calibration but all the data I can find points to a TFT display.Reply

That was absolutely my bad. HTC appears to have calibrated the screen to mimic the other OLEDs, it's overly red. Combine that with the OLED listing here http://shopamerica.htc.com/cell-phones/productdeta... and it resulted in my mistake. I was wondering why viewing angle was so bad for OLED, I should've been more careful in my research there instead of just making an assumption. I will be more careful in the future.